An asymptotic version of a conjecture by Enomoto and Ota

In 2000, Enomoto and Ota [J Graph Theory 34 (2000), 163–169] stated the following conjecture. Let G be a graph of order n, and let n₁, n₂, …, n_k be positive integers with \begin{eqnarray*}\sum\nolimits_{{{i}} = {{1}}}^{{{k}}} {{n}}_{{{i}}} = {{n}}\end{eqnarray*}. If σ₂(G)≥n+ k?1, then for any k distinct vertices x₁, x₂, …, x_k in G, there exist vertex disjoint paths P₁, P₂, …, P_k such that |P_i|=n_i and x_i is an endpoint of P_i for every i, 1≤i≤k. We prove an asymptotic version of this conjecture in the following sense. For every k positive real numbers γ₁, …, γ_k with \begin{eqnarray*}\sum\nolimits_{{{i}} = {{1}}}^{{{k}}} \gamma_{{{i}}} = {{1}}\end{eqnarray*}, and for every ε>0, there exists n₀ such that for every graph G of order n≥n₀ with σ₂(G)≥n+ k?1, and for every choice of k vertices x₁, …, x_k∈V(G), there exist vertex disjoint paths P₁, …, P_k in G such that \begin{eqnarray*}\sum\nolimits_{{{i}} = {{1}}}^{{{k}}} |{{P}}_{{{i}}}| = {{n}}\end{eqnarray*}, the vertex x_i is an endpoint of the path P_i, and (γ_i?ε)n<|P_i|<(γ_i + ε)n for every i, 1≤i≤k. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 64: 37–51, 2010     

Gallai’s path decomposition conjecture for triangle-free planar graphs

A path decomposition of a graph $G$ is a collection of edge-disjoint paths of $G$ that covers the edge set of $G$. Gallai (1968) conjectured that every connected graph on $n$ vertices admits a path decomposition of cardinality at most $?(n+1)∕2?$. Gallai’s Conjecture has been verified for many classes of graphs. In particular, Lovász (1968) verified this conjecture for graphs with at most one vertex with even degree, and Pyber (1996) verified it for graphs in which every cycle contains a vertex with odd degree. Recently, Bonamy and Perrett (2016) verified Gallai’s Conjecture for graphs with maximum degree at most 5, and Botler et al. (2017) verified it for graphs with treewidth at most 3. In this paper, we verify Gallai’s Conjecture for triangle-free planar graphs.     

A version of the volume conjecture

We propose a version of the volume conjecture that would relate a certain limit of the colored Jones polynomials of a knot to the volume function defined by a representation of the fundamental group of the knot complement to the special linear group of degree two over complex numbers. We also confirm the conjecture for the figure-eight knot and torus knots. This version is different from S. Gukov's because of a choice of polarization.     

A new proof of Vázsonyi's conjecture

The diameter graph G of n points in Euclidean 3-space has a bipartite, centrally symmetric double covering on the sphere. Three easy corollaries follow: (1) A self-contained proof of Vázsonyi's conjecture that G has at most 2n−2 edges, which avoids the ball polytopes used in the original proofs given by Grünbaum, Heppes and Straszewicz. (2) G can be embedded in the projective plane. (3) Any two odd cycles in G intersect [V.L. Dol'nikov, Some properties of graphs of diameters, Discrete Comput. Geom. 24 (2000) 293-299].     

Time version of the shortest path problem in a stochastic-flow network

Many studies on hardware framework and routing policy are devoted to reducing the transmission time for a flow network. A time version of the shortest path problem thus arises to find a quickest path, which sends a given amount of data from the unique source to the unique sink with minimum transmission time. More specifically, the capacity of each arc in the flow network is assumed to be deterministic. However, in many real-life networks, such as computer systems, telecommunication systems, etc., the capacity of each arc should be stochastic due to failure, maintenance, etc. Such a network is named a stochastic-flow network. Hence, the minimum transmission time is not a fixed number. We extend the quickest path problem to evaluating the probability that d$d$ units of data can be sent under the time constraint T$T$. Such a probability is named the system reliability. In particular, the data are transmitted through two minimal paths simultaneously in order to reduce the transmission time. A simple algorithm is proposed to generate all (d,T)$(d,T)$-MPs and the system reliability can then be computed in terms of (d,T)$(d,T)$-MPs. Moreover, the optimal pair of minimal paths with highest system reliability could be obtained.     

The edge version of Hadwiger’s conjecture

A well known conjecture of Hadwiger asserts that K_n+1 is the only minor minimal graph of chromatic number greater than n. In this paper, all minor minimal graphs of chromatic index greater than n are determined.     

Counterexamples to Grötzsch-Sachs-Koester's conjecture

Let G be a 4-regular planar graph and suppose that G has a cycle decomposition S (i.e., each edge of G is in exactly on cycle of the decomposition) with every pair of adjacent edges on a face always in different cycles of S. Such a graph G arises as a superposition of simple closed curves in the plane with tangencies disallowed. Grötzsch-Sachs-Koester's conjecture states that if the cycles of G can be partitioned into four classes, such that two cycles in the same classes are disjoint, G is vertex 3-colorable. In this note, the conjecture is disproved.     

A proof of the rooted tree alternative conjecture

Bonato and Tardif [A. Bonato, C. Tardif, Mutually embeddable graphs and the tree alternative conjecture, J. Combinatorial Theory, Series B 96 (2006), 874-880] conjectured that the number of isomorphism classes of trees mutually embeddable with a given tree T is either 1 or infinite. We prove the analogue of their conjecture for rooted trees. We also make some progress towards the original conjecture for locally finite trees and state some new conjectures.     

A graph-theoretic version of the union-closed sets conjecture

An induced subgraph S of a graph G is called a derived subgraph of G if S contains no isolated vertices. An edge e of G is said to be residual if e occurs in more than half of the derived subgraphs of G. We introduce the conjecture: Every non-empty graph contains a non-residual edge. This conjecture is implied by, but weaker than, the union-closed sets conjecture. We prove that a graph G of order n satisfies this conjecture whenever G satisfies any one of the conditions: δ(G) ≤ 2, log₂ n ≤ δ(G), n ≤ 10, or the girth of G is at least 6. Finally, we show that the union-closed sets conjecture, in its full generality, is equivalent to a similar conjecture about hypergraphs. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 26: 155–163, 1997     

Computational experiments with a lazy version of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis> quickest simple path ranking algorithm

The quickest path problem is related to the classical shortest path problem, but its objective function concerns the transmission time of a given amount of data throughout a path, which involves both cost and capacity. The K-quickest simple paths problem generalises the latter, by looking for a given number K of simple paths in non-decreasing order of transmission time. Two categories of algorithms are known for ranking simple paths according to the transmission time. One is the adaptation of deviation algorithms for ranking shortest simple paths (Pascoal et al. in Comput. Oper. Res. 32(3):509–520, 2005; Rosen et al. in Comput. Oper. Res. 18(6):571–584, 1991), and another is based on ranking shortest simple paths in a sequence of networks with fixed capacity lower bounds (Chen in Inf. Process. Lett. 50:89–92, 1994), and afterwards selecting the K quickest ones. After reviewing the quickest path and the K-quickest simple paths problems we describe a recent algorithm for ranking quickest simple paths (Pascoal et al. in Ann. Oper. Res. 147(1):5–21, 2006). This is a lazy version of Chen’s algorithm, able to interchange the calculation of new simple paths and the output of each k-quickest simple path. Finally, the described algorithm is computationally compared to its former version, as well as to deviation algorithms.      

An approximate version of the Loebl-Komlós-Sós conjecture

Loebl, Komlós, and Sós conjectured that if at least half of the vertices of a graph G have degree at least some k∈N, then every tree with at most k edges is a subgraph of G. Our main result is an approximate version of this conjecture for large enough n=|V(G)|, assumed that n=O(k).Our result implies an asymptotic bound for the Ramsey number of trees. We prove that r(Tk,Tm)?k+m+o(k+m), as k+m→∞.     

A generalized version of Branner-Hubbard conjecture for rational functions

In 1992, Branner and Hubbard raised a conjecture that the Julia set of a polynomial is a Cantor set if and only if each critical component of its filled-in Julia set is not periodic. This conjecture was solved recently. In this paper, we generalize this result to a class of rational functions.     

A (1 + ϵ)‐approximation algorithm for partitioning hypergraphs using a new algorithmic version of the Lovász Local Lemma*

In his seminal result, Beck gave the first algorithmic version of the Lovász Local Lemma by giving polynomial time algorithms for 2‐coloring and partitioning uniform hypergraphs. His work was later generalized by Alon, and Molloy and Reed. Recently, Czumaj and Scheideler gave an efficient algorithm for 2‐coloring nonuniform hypergraphs. But the partitioning algorithm obtained based on their second paper only applies to a more limited range of hypergraphs, so much so that their work doesn't imply the result of Beck for the uniform case. Here we give an algorithmic version of the general form of the Local Lemma which captures (almost) all applications of the results of Beck and Czumaj and Scheideler, with an overall simpler proof. In particular, if H is a nonuniform hypergraph in which every edge e_i intersects at most |e_i|2^αk other edges of size at most k, for some small constant α, then we can find a partitioning of H in expected linear time. This result implies the result of Beck for uniform hypergraphs along with a speedup in his running time. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg. 2004     

NZ‐flows in strong products of graphs

We prove that the strong product G₁? G₂ of G₁ and G₂ is ?₃‐flow contractible if and only if G₁? G₂ is not T? K₂, where T is a tree (we call T? K₂ a K₄‐tree). It follows that G₁? G₂ admits an NZ 3 ‐flow unless G₁? G₂ is a K₄ ‐tree. We also give a constructive proof that yields a polynomial algorithm whose output is an NZ 3‐flow if G₁? G₂ is not a K₄ ‐tree, and an NZ 4‐flow otherwise. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 64: 267–276, 2010     

Upon the removal of the edges of a 1-factor from an even circuit in a 2-connected graph

Let G be a 2-connected graph with minimum degree at least 3. We prove that there exists an even circuit C in G with factorization F={F₁,F₂} such that G−E(F₁) is 2-connected.     

Quadripartite version of the Hajnal-Szemerédi theorem

Let G be a quadripartite graph with N vertices in each vertex class and each vertex is adjacent to at least vertices in each of the other classes. There exists an N₀ such that, if N?N₀, then G contains a subgraph that consists of N vertex-disjoint copies of K₄.     

On weights of induced paths and cycles in claw‐free and K1,r‐free graphs

Let G be a K_1,r ‐free graph (r ≥ 3) on n vertices. We prove that, for any induced path or induced cycle on k vertices in G (k ≥ 2r − 1 or k ≥ 2r, respectively), the degree sum of its vertices is at most (2r − 2)(n − α) where α is the independence number of G. As a corollary we obtain an upper bound on the length of a longest induced path and a longest induced cycle in a K_1,r ‐free graph. Stronger bounds are given in the special case of claw‐free graphs (i.e., r = 3). Sharpness examples are also presented. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 36: 131–143, 2001     

A Relaxed Version of the Erdős–Lovász Tihany Conjecture

The Erd?s–Lovász Tihany conjecture asserts that every graph G with ) contains two vertex disjoint subgraphs G ₁ and G ₂ such that and . Under the same assumption on G , we show that there are two vertex disjoint subgraphs G ₁ and G ₂ of G such that (a) and or (b) and . Here, is the chromatic number of is the clique number of G , and col(G ) is the coloring number of G .